Rules of Attachment Theory
by McKay Rulez
Summary: Sam the whale returns to visit her favourite human, Rodney. Jack and Sam (the human) get to meet Sam (the whale). Jack grows concerned McKay and Carter may adopt the whale as a pet, and everyone knowns you can't fit a space whale in Jack's small pond. Ships: Sam/Rodney - Also some Rodney/Sam (Whale) jealousy


_Disclaimer!_ I don't own Stargate or any of it's characters!  
 _Summary:_ Sam the whale returns to visit her favourite human, Rodney. Jack and Sam (the human) get to meet Sam (the whale). Jack grows concerned McKay and Carter may adopt the whale as a pet, and everyone knowns you can't fit a space whale in Jack's small pond.  
 _Ships:_ Sam/Rodney  
 _Episode mentions:_ SGA: "Grace Under Pressure", "Echoes"  
 _Note:_ I know Sam is supposedly a male whale but hey I'm going with she. Maybe Rodney lied to try to look less weird by naming a whale after Sam. ;)

* * *

Sam swam about the West Pier slowly back and forth. She knew he would meet her. He always did on her visits. He was strange that way. None of the other two legged mammals ever went to visit her except him. She was sure she knew why of course. Last time they got sick because of their arrival.. Even he had got hurt too.. She and the rest of her pod hadn't meant to hurt them, but couldn't have been helped. They needed to warn them of the problem, and it took the humans too long to figure it out. If they had figured out sooner, she and her pod wouldn't have had to talk for so long... Regardless, She knew better now. She wasn't going to talk so much. She was going to wait until she mastered the human frequencies and language before trying to communicate again..

Sam stopped pacing when she heard someone coming. She surfaced her head from the water and looked up as her favourite mammal approached. She spouted some water in the air hopping he understood she was trying to tell him how happy she was to see him. She noticed a couple other human mammals were with him as well.

Rodney smiled at Sam ( _The whale_ ), as he approached. Sam, ( _The human_ ), looked intrigued, Jack frowned looking at the whale concerned.

"Hey Sam! You came back!" Rodney grinned.

Carter frowned at him. "Sorry?"

"Oh..." Rodney's smile faded and he dodged her odd look. He fumbled into the bag he brought trying to hide his embarrassment. "I was.." Rodney motioned to the whale. "Talking to.. You know.. The whale."

Jack raised her eyebrow. "The Whale.."

"Yeah uh.. Actually she's a Flagisallus.. But uh.. Yes.. A whale.." Rodney replied, and pulled out a medical scanner from his bag.

Sam spouted more water into the air. " _And Proud_." She thought to herself.

"And you named her.. Sam?" Carter eyed him. "McKay..."

"Little busy right now talking a scan, much more important then the name." Rodney justified with a wave of his hand as he read his readings.

"You named her Sam." Carter continued baffled.

Rodney tuned around. "Fine, yes. Yes I did."

Carter shook her head, with a small smile.

"What?" Rodney frowned. Confused at her reaction.

"You really did miss me didn't you?"

"Well.. I-"

Sam, the whale, made a groaning echo. Making the human female wince. Sam was growing annoyed. This should be about her visit with Rodney, not some two legged female trying to make this all about her.

"Rodney. You said the thing wasn't making harmful noises anymore." Jack warned.

"Well she wasn't before." Rodney frowned and continued to look over his readings. "Interesting."

Sam perked up wondering what he found so interesting about her.

"What?" Sam Carter crossed her arms and leaned over his shoulder too look at the readings.

Sam, the whale, glared at the female leaning close to him. _Why was she so close?.._ She wondered.

Carter blinked, startled at the look the whale was giving her. Was the whale just.. No.. Of course not.. Just my imagination.. Carter thought to herself.

"There's nothing wrong with her.. and if she's here to warn of us of another disaster she sure hasn't been giving off any frequency's to do so." Rodney said to the group.

"And that's.. 'interesting?'" Jack asked sarcastically, with air quotes.

"Yes, because why is she here then, and so close?" Rodney frowned worriedly at Sam. Sam gazed back wanting to tell him not to worry about her.

"None of her other friends are around.." Carter noticed.

"So that means it can't be very important." Jack guessed.

Rodney gazed out at the ocean. "Yeah, the cities sensors didn't pick up any others nearby.. Not even her momma..."

"Awe, Willy's not around?" Jack asked jokingly.

Carter frowned. "Maybe her mom is hurt?" She guessed.

McKay knelt down and cautiously placed his hand on the whale. "Is your mom hurt?" He asked.

Sam shook her head slowly. She swam as close to the piers edge as she could and closed her eyes as he ran his hand over her. It was a strange feeling to be petted, but it was a nice feeling.

Carter frowned worried. "Rodney, I don't know if that's safe.."

Jacks eyes narrowed. "McKay, get away from that thing."

Rodney shook his head. "Sam wont hurt me. She saved my life."

"But if she makes a noise in that close proximity, you could-" Carter started concerned.

"Yeah I know." Rodney cut her off. "I've collapsed before back in the jumper, but this time.. I think she knows.."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "She knows what?"

"That speaking would hurt us. That's why she hasn't said anything.. She knows now." Rodney responded.

You're right. Sam thought.

"She made a noise earlier." Jack pointed out rubbing his temple slightly. That short blast of sound at this close range earlier had given him the beginnings of a headache already. He wondered why Rodney, the renowned hypochondriac, seemed perfectly fine.

"Yeah, well maybe you provoked her.." Rodney replied, as he continued to pet the whale.

Sam nuzzled up to him. Enjoying him being to trusting and defending of her.

"Provoked her? It's a whale, McKay." Jack said back with annoyance.

"She's more then a whale." Rodney replied, gazing at the whale with affection.

"You're starting to sound like Daniel..." Jack rolled his eyes. "Next your going to say, even the fish have a place in the ponds ecosystem Jack. We can't go fishing here." He finished, trying to do a Daniel impression as he said it.

Rodney rolled his eyes and gave in to Sam's nuzzling and started petting the her with both hands. Sam raised her large tail up and splashed it down in enjoyment. Rodney chuckled slightly and looked to Carter with a grin.

Carters eyes lit up and she sat beside Rodney and slowly, reached a hand out and touched her. Carter and McKay shared a smile.

"Oh great. Not you too." Jack shook his head. "Why don't we all get the whole gang out here and we'll all get in a circle around it and sing kumbayah."

Carter and McKay ignored him. "Awe.. Hello?.." Carter said to the whale. "Your nice aren't you?"  
"See she's not so bad." Rodney said to Carter.

"Hello!? Is anyone listening to me?" Jack snapped. "Don't get to attached kids. This is a wild, I repeat wild animal. We're not keeping it."

Carter looked to Rodney. "She reminds me of my cat, Schrödinger. He loves to be petted."  
Rodney looked to Carter surprised. "You have a cat? I have a cat too. Well.. had.. I had to give mine to my neighbour when I left for Atlantis.. Her name was Einstein."  
"Oh, right.. You guys couldn't bring your pets. Sorry." Carter frowned.

"Right we're not taking the whale home.. As much as I love fish in my pond.. This girl is just to big to fit." Jack mentioned, still not able to get their attention.

"It's not your fault. It couldn't have been helped I guess... At least they allow me to play with the test mice." Rodney replied.

Sam the whale splashed her tale to get their attention. Rodney smiled and patted her. "And get to play with the whales too."

Jack shook his hand in front of their faces. "Atlantis to geeks. Calling Atlantis to geeks."  
"Jack?" Carter asked confused. Jack leaned closer to them. "Oh look, cellphone reception! So you guys can hear me!"

"What is it?" Rodney asked annoyed. "We heard you the first time. No keeping her as a pet."

"Good." Jack smiled falsely and clapped. "So you got that bit."

"Yes." Rodney rolled his eyes and shared a look with Carter.

"Well?.." Jack rolled his hand around wanting them to continue.

Carter frowned. "What?"

"Remember why we all went out here? To see if this fish was a threat? It's not going to blow everyone's eardrums out and make us all hallucinate right?" Jack asked with annoyance.

"Carter and McKay looked at each other, then at Sam, then to Jack.  
"Apparently not." Carter answered.  
"Obviously." McKay said with an eye roll, as if too say it was stupid to have ever assumed so.  
"Well, she could have." Carter pointed out.  
"But she hasn't." Rodney looked to Carter as they began to banter.  
"Which is strange."  
"Not really."  
"Why not?" Carter asked.  
"Cause Sam is a good whale. She saved my life remember!"  
"As you've already mentioned..." Carter gazed to the side.  
"Well it's true!" Rodney pointed.  
"Do you have to call her Sam?" Carter looked back to him and crossed her arms.  
"Why?"  
"It's creepy.."  
"No it's not."  
"Well, you did tell me you had a hallucination of me when you meet this whale..."  
"So? What's that suppose to mean?"  
"Well, it makes you look desperate..."  
"Desperate how?"  
Carter gave him a look, that said seriously? Do I have to spell it out?  
Rodney's eyes widened after a moment. "For you?!"  
Carter shrugged. Rodney gazed at her speechless as realization of his feelings dawned on him.  
Carter tilted her head. "Hmmm.. Thought so."  
"Thought so? Thought what?"  
"You still love me.. After all these years..."  
"What does it matter to you?" Rodney asked.  
"Hmm? It.. It doesn't." Carter frowned.  
"Well apparently it does if you've been wondering if I love you or not."  
"That's not what I-" Carter looked down confused.  
"Yes."  
"Yes what?"  
"...Yes I still... You know.. Lo-"  
Jack cleared his throat to stop the banter and the two looked back up at him. "So we're safe for now?"  
Carter stared at Rodney in shock, a strange feeling pooled in the middle of her stomach.

Sam, the whale vented more water frustrated that the human was getting herself involved again. Why couldn't she just pet her like a good little mammal?  
The action snapped Carter out of it enough, to process Jack's question.

"Yes." Rodney and Carter replied together, as they stared at each other.

"Good. That's all I wanted to know." Jack turned to go back, then turned around before he left and pointed at them and to the Whale. "Remember-"

"No getting too attached." Carter replied quietly for him, as she stared at Rodney softly.  
 _But_.. Carter thought.. _Maybe she had broken that rule already, without even realizing it._


End file.
